APTOS — A 16-year-old girl who went missing from Aptos in 2014 may have changed her name and her appearance in recent months, her family said. They are trying to get her in touch with law enforcement and make sure she”s OK.

Elizabeth Barstow, who also may go by Alice Scelus or Liz Osbourne, was last seen Nov. 6, 2014 near Aptos High School. She was let out of a group-home van with other teens that morning and ran away, said her adoptive mother, Heidi Knutson of Santa Clara.

Barstow, then 15, has disappeared in the past but always returned within a week, Knutson said. Barstow now might be living with friends in Santa Cruz County, according to some information gathered through social media in recent weeks.

“She has so much potential, she”s just a good kid,” Knutson said Thursday. “I pray for her every day. I hope she”ll surface and realize that a lot of people love her.”

Knutson adopted Barstow at age 7 after Barstow lived in several foster homes. They lived with Knutson”s husband and younger son in Santa Clara. Knutson, now 47, is a teacher.

After Barstow acted out physically against Knutson, Barstow went to live in a group home in Aptos in 2014. She attended Aptos High School where she was learning to play guitar. She excelled in drawing and other art classes.

“She”s super creative and an amazing artist,” Knutson said.

On Christmas Eve, Knutson longed to see Barstow again and searched the Facebook pages of some of Barstow”s friends. She came across a profile for Alice Scelus and recognized Barstow from pictures posted on it.

Although the profile says she lives in Los Angeles, the account holder responded to messages and said she lives in the Santa Cruz area.

Knutson said she believes Barstow is staying with friends. There are hundreds of missing persons cases in the county. Knutson noted that it”s not illegal to be a runaway, but it is illegal to be truant from school.

Since Barstow”s disappearance, Knutson enlisted the help of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children and the Polly Klaas Foundation in Petaluma. The foundation is a nonprofit group that helps find missing children and keep children safe.

In January, the foundation created a flier with three pictures of Barstow. Two of the photos were taken from the Alice Scelus Facebook page.

Barstow is white, 5-feet-6 and about 150 pounds with a medium build. Her natural hair color is blond, Knutson said, yet she has dyed it black in the past.

Barstow”s lower lip is pierced. She also has scars on both arms, according to the flier.

“I”m not giving up on her,” Knutson said. “There”s always going to be hope.”